Don’t wait to speak up

The survivors of the Parkland shooting came to speak Oct. 19 in Burlington. While addressing a crowd gathered in the First Universalist Church, David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez and Alex Wind spoke about the importance of activism.

These individuals, although only 18 years old, have already formed March for Our Lives, a national movement promoting gun control. Their perseverance and energy prove the power and impact of youth activism.

We live in a world that tells young people they can’t make a difference, that to be impactful we have to wait until we have the credentials and experience.

But Hogg proved this idea wrong.

“We didn’t all of a sudden gain power, we realized that we’ve always had it,” he said.

On our campus, activism is alive and thriving. Just a few weeks ago we had a walkout to protest the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Last year, protests and demonstrations for social justice coursed through campus.

The Parkland speakers serve as a reminder to continue this activism and speak up. They also reinforce the power younger generations hold.

It’s easy to post a video on Facebook or to share an article on Twitter to reinforce your political views. But, as Hogg, Gonzalez and Wind show, stepping away from the screen and into the streets is the real way to achieve change.

Just recently, after campus protesters called for the University to remove the name “Bailey” from Bailey/Howe Library, the board of trustees has been recommended to do just that.

Successes like this have one clear message: Activism works, and we have to stay alert and keep fighting for causes we believe in.

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